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Grazing Sheep in Vineyards

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Grazing Sheep in Vineyards ask the Grazing sheep in vineyards IT IS BECOMING MORE COMMON to see sheep grazing in Australian vineyards between late autumn and spring. This article addresses the most common questions asked by vineyard owners about this practice. Q. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GRAZING SHEEP IN A Q. WHAT SAVINGS CAN BE EXPECTED IN TERMS OF VINEYARD? OPERATING COSTS AND GHG EMISSIONS? Australian vineyards are generally highly mechanised, The savings achieved will vary depending on vineyard size relying on heavy machinery for a variety of operations such as and management practices but in most cases vineyard managers pruning, slashing, trimming, spraying and harvesting. could expect to avoid one slashing and one herbicide pass. The use of such machinery comes with a significant cost both This will result in lower chemical and fuel use, fewer labour in terms of fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. hours and reduced maintenance and depreciation costs. Grazing sheep in a vineyard is one way to reduce the need Some labour is required to manage the sheep and these costs for slashing and spraying to control undervine growth, with should be taken into account. A recent case study at a 500ha additional benefits as a result of lower fuel costs and greenhouse vineyard showed total annual savings of around $22,000. gas emissions. GHG savings would come from lower fuel use due to reduced In some cases, the owners of the sheep may also pay vineyard passes through the vineyard; however these savings could owners for providing pasture for their sheep, providing an be partially offset if the sheep need to be transported to the additional source of income. vineyard. Q. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GRAZE SHEEP IN THE Q. IS ANY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED? VINEYARD AND HOW MANY SHOULD THERE BE? Additional fencing may be needed to ensure the sheep can In Australia, sheep are usually grazed in vineyards between be contained within the block, while still allowing access to the the completion harvest and budburst. vineyard for winter jobs such as pruning. Sheep are generally not used during the growing season Sheep will graze preferentially, so it is more effective to keep because they eat the grapevine leaves that are required for them in small sections of vineyard at high stocking rates until photosynthesis and to protect the fruit from sunburn. all plants have been eaten. In cooler regions sheep can be used for leaf plucking between This gives good weed control and has been shown to work fruit set and the start of veraison. well on hard to kill weeds like marshmallow (Malva parviflora) The number of sheep suitable to graze in a vineyard will in the Adelaide Hills. Access to water is another requirement depend on the amount and growth rate of the ‘pasture’ available, and may require investment. how long they will be grazed for and the type of sheep. The owner of the sheep will be able to provide advice and Q. DO AGROCHEMICAL RESIDUES NEED TO BE there is also a Stocking Rate Calculator available on the Meat CONSIDERED? and Livestock Australia (www.mla.com.au) website to help with Sheep can consume agrochemical residues from grapevine this calculation. leaves or from the mid-row and under-vine growth. 46 Grapegrower & Winemaker www.winetitles.com.au May 2016 – Issue 628 Agrochemical product labels provide rules about grazing infrastructure but could damage soil structure through animals on the vineyard floor or feeding crop residues to compaction in a waterlogged vineyard. livestock. There are a number of products where the labels state Sheep will show little interest in dormant vines but might that stock should not be grazed in the vineyard or foliage cut for affect yield if they are not removed before budburst. stock food if the chemical has been applied during the season. For other products, there may be a withholding period before Q. CAN ANY OTHER TYPES OF ANIMALS BE USED IN stock can be grazed or a defined interval between removal of the VINEYARDS? sheep from the vineyard and their slaughter for consumption. Birds including chickens, guinea fowl, and geese have been Before making the decision to run sheep in a vineyard, it’s used in vineyards to assist with snail or insect control. very important to consider all of the agrochemicals that have Pests like garden weevil that are otherwise difficult to been used in that vineyard and abide by all label requirements. control have been successfully managed without the need for insecticides by using guinea fowl. Q. WILL THE SHEEP CAUSE DAMAGE IN THE VINEYARD? For more information contact the AWRI helpdesk via 08 8313 Sheep are not known to damage vineyard irrigation 6600 or [email protected]. May 2016 – Issue 628 www.winetitles.com.au Grapegrower & Winemaker 47.
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